Specifically, in the 2022 Imported Plant-Based Food Safety Monitoring Program, the Department of Plant Protection (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) found that the shipment of Chinese fresh chili did not meet Vietnam’s food safety requirements.
Accordingly, the sample of chili was taken on August 22 in a shipment with a volume of 20 tonnes, the exporter was Tan Giang Chieu Thong Agricultural Development Company (Phuong Hoang Street, Chieu Duong District, Chieu Thong City, Van Nam Province, China), the importer was An Thinh Import-Export Trading Company Limited (173 Dang Chau, Coc Leu Ward, Lao Cai City, Lao Cai Province).
The chili sample was found to have residual Lambda-cyhalothrin, which is an insecticidal chemical with a content of 0.5 mg/kg while the maximum content allowed by Vietnam is 0.3 mg/kg.
The Plant Protection Department has sent an official letter to the General Department of Customs (Ministry of Finance) requesting to direct units to coordinate with the Plant Protection Department to closely inspect imported chili shipments of Chinese enterprises.
Vietnamese chili growers are always suffering from unstable prices. (Photo: Internet)
This information surprised many people because Vietnamese chilies were grown and exported to China many times, and whenever there was a problem in trade, the chili prices dropped sharply.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien, Director of Tomcare Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Chilica fermented chili sauce brand), Vietnamese chili is available all year round but the main season is usually 2 months before and after the Lunar New Year and is grown in Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Gia Lai, Binh Dinh, etc. However, the price of Vietnamese chili is not stable, when farmers grow less, the price is very high, see the high price, next year, farmers grow more then the prices drop strongly and this cycle keeps repeating.
Representatives of Thu Duc Agricultural Market Management and Trading Joint Stock Company said that currently Chinese fresh chilies are no longer entering the market.
However, there were 70 tonnes in June, 159 tonnes in July and 147 tonnes in August of Chinese fresh chilies entered the market and all were official imports.
“Chinese chili is a non-routine commodity. When the price of Vietnamese chili is higher than in China, traders will order a few containers because it only takes 02 days to ship from the border to the market. Imported Chinese chilies include green and red chilies (large size) and small chilies such as Vietnamese red hot chili ” – Representative of Thu Duc Agricultural Market Management and Trading Joint Stock Company informed./.